Thera 6.5: Malunkya's Son
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(214):Malunkya's Son Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter VI. Six Verses =214. Mālunkyā's Son1= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī as the son of the King of Kosala's valuer,2 his mother was named Mālunkyā, and he became known by her name. When he was come of age his naturally religious disposition prevailed, and he left the world as a Wandering ascetic. Then, on hearing the Lord(Buddha) teach, he entered the Monk’s order, and in due course won sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Visiting his home out of compassion 213 for his family, these entertained him with great display of hospitality, seeking to allure him back, and saying: 'With this wealth that belongs to you, you could support a family and do good works.' But the Thera, unfolding his disposition, said: ---- 399 Manujassa pamattacārino taṇhā vaḍḍhati māluvā viya,|| So palavati hurā huraɱ phalamicchaɱ va vanasmiɱ vānaro.|| || 400 Yaɱ esā sahate jammi taṇhā loke visattikā,|| Sokā tassa pavaḍḍhati abhivaṭṭhaɱ va bīraṇaɱ.|| || 401 Yo cetaɱ sahate jammiɱ taṇhaɱ loke duraccayaɱ,|| Sokā tamhā papatanti udabinduva pokkharā.|| || 402 Taɱ 44 vo vadāmi bhaddaɱ vo yāvantettha samāgatā,|| Taṇhāya mūlaɱ khaṇatha usīrattheva bīraṇaɱ,|| Mā vo naḷaɱ va soto va māro bhañji punappunaɱ.|| || 403 Karotha buddhavacakaɱ khaṇo vo mā upaccagā,|| Khaṇatītā hi socanti nirayamhi samappitā.|| || 404 Pamādo rajo sabbadā pamādānupatito rajo,|| Appamādena vijjāya abbahe sallamattano' ti.|| || ---- 399 Is3 there a man who careless, heedless lives, Craving in him will like a creeper grow. He hurries craving from birth to birth,4 In quest of fruit like ape in forest tree. 400 Whom she did overcome, - the shameful jade, Craving, the poisoner of all mankind, -5 Grow for him griefs as rank as jungle-grass. 401 But he who did her down, - the shameful jade, Hard to outwit, - from him griefs fall away As from the lotus glides the drop of dew. 402 This word to you, as many as are here6 Together come: May all success be yours! Dig up the root of craving, as you were Bent on the quest of sweet usira root. Let it not be with you that, you the reed, Māra the stream(of death & rebirth), he break you over and over! 403 Bring you the Buddha-Word to pass; let not This moment of the ages pass you by! That moment lost, men mourn in misery.7 404 214 As dust and defiled, is carelessness; And dust-defilement comes through carelessness. By earnestness and by the Wisdom you hear, Let each man from his heart draw out the spearsin.8 ---- 1 A second poem of this Thera is given as CCLII. The Thera is met with in Saŋy., iv. 72 (a Sutta identical with the latter poem), and presumably in Ang., ii. 248, and Majjh., i., Suttas 63, 64. 2 Agghāpanika. Cf. XX: agghāpanī; ? Jāt., iṁ, No. 5. 3 Dhammapada, pp. 334-337. 4 Hurāhuraŋ, in the Commentary, seems to mean both 'craving' and 'from birth to birth,' the latter with the former implied. See JPTS, 1909, p. 168. 5 To connect visatti-ka with visaŋ may not be correct etymologically. Visatti may mean very powerful, or withdrawing power, but as an agency we should almost expect vesattikā. But both Buddhaghosa (Atthasālinī, p. 264) and Dhammapāla connect the word with poison. The latter, however, adds āsattatā. Cf. Dhammapada Commentary (Fausböll), p. 409. 6 Cf. CLXXXII. Dhp. 337. 7 Cf. p. 162, n. 3; S.-Nipāta, verse 333 = Dhammapada, verse 815. 8 Sisters, verse 131. Commentary, hadayanissitaŋ. ---- =6.5 214 Commentary on the stanza of Mālukyaputtatthera= The stanza starting with manujassa constitutes that of the venerable thera Malukyaputta. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn as the son of main-seat-holder (aggāsanika) of the king of Kosala in Sāvatthi, when this Buddha arose. His mother was named Mālukyā; by way of her, he came to be known as Mālukyaputta. On having come of age, he gave up his household life, owing to his inclinatioin (ajjhāsaya) to escape (nissaraṇa), renounced the world by becoming a wandering recluse and was wandering about when he listened to the teaching of the truth (dhamma) in the presence of the Master, aptly gained pious faith in the dispensation (sāsane), became a monk, did his deed of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā) but before long. Out of compassion for his relatives, he went ot the family (kulaṃ) of his kinsmen. His relatives entertained him with exalted food, hard and soft and being desirous of seducing (palobhetukāmā) him with wealth heaped up a huge pile of wealth closely before him, and made their request thus: “This wealth belongs to you; disrobe (vibbhamitvā) yourself and do meritorious deeds supporting (paṭijagganto) your wife and children with this wealth. The thera stood in the sky and taught the truth (dhamma) with these six stanzas upsetting (viparivattento) their intention (ajjhāsayaṃ). 399. “The craving (taṇhā) of a human being who is negligent (pamatta), in conduct (cārino) increases like the māluva creeper; he runs about (plavati) from this existence to that existence like a fruit-fetching monkey, in the forest. 400. “Whomever this mean (jammī) clinging (visattikā) craving (taṇhā) overcomes in the world, his anxieties increase like the thriving (abhivaṭṭhaṃ) bīraṇa grass. 401. “Should whoever overcome this mean craving which is difficult to be discarded (duraccayaṃ), anxieties fall from him resembling drops of water from the lotus leaf. 402. “Should however overcome this mean craving which is difficult to be discarded (duraccayaṃ), anxieties fall from him resembling drops of water from the lotus leaf. 402. “Under that circumstance (taṃ), I speak to you. May you be well (bhaddaṃ), you as many as are assembled together here: “Dig up the root of craving, resembling him who is in need of that kind of grass named usira otherwise known as bīrana; let not Māra break you asunder (bhañji) over and over again similar to the flowing water of the river destroying the reed (growing on the river bank).” 403. “Act up to the Buddha’s word; you should not let any moment pass off; indeed, those who let (good) moments pass by come to grief having been burn in purgatory. 404. “Negligence constitutes lack of awareness; it is dusty owing to lust; because of the influence (anupati) of negligence, it is stainful (rajo); by means of diligence and knowledge (of foremost path) one should remove one’s own thorn (of lust and so on). There, manujassa means: of a living being. Pamattacārino means: of one of negligent conduct, with negligence marked (lakkhaṇena) by relinquishment (vosagga) of awareness (sati); neither jhāna, nor spiritual insight (vipassanā) nor the right path (magga) nor fruition (phala) increase. According as, however, the Māluva creeper grow bigger entwining and enveloping a tree for the ruination of that tree, in the same manner craving desire grows larger springing up again and again in visible forms (rūpa) and so on dependent upon the six sense doors of his; according as the Māluva creeper increasing but in size does fell down the tree which had been its own support after having submerged the same, in the same manner, the individual under the influence of craving (taṇhā) is made to fall down into purgatory. So plavati means: that individual, under the influence of craving (taṇhā) now and then (aparāparaṃ) floats about and runs all over existences, major and minor. According as what? Phalamicchaṃ va vanasmi vānaro means: according as a monkey who wants to eat fruits of trees catches hold of a branch of a tree, running about in the forest, releases that branch and seizes another, after letting go that another branch; it does not reach (āpajjati) the stage when it should be said to be “Not having got a branch it has become seated;” in the very same manner, the individual under the influsnce of craving (taṇhā), running about from hither existence to thither existence does not reach the stage when he should be said as: “Not having obtained any object of sense (ārammaṇaṃ) he has reached the stage of his craving (taṇhā) being defunct (apavattiṃ).” Yaṃ means: whichever individual; jammī means: this craving is base (or mean) owing to its being inferior (lāmaka). Visattikā means: six-doored craving which has reached (gatā) to be reckoned (saṅkaṃ) as poisonous and clinging owing to the condition of its bearing poison, the state of its being the basic root of poison, the consition of its fruit of poison, the state of partaking (paribhoga) of poison, the condition of having clung to and the state of being attached to visible objects (rūpa) etc.; sahate means: it overcomes that individual. Bīraṇaṃ means: according as in the forest when the rain pours down its shower again and again, the well rain-sodden (abhivaṭṭhaṃ) biraṇaṃ (grass of Bīraṇa species) grows great, in the same manner, anxieties born of rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) increase in particular and reach a great growth; thus, is the meaning. Yo c’etam … duraccayam means: on the other hand, an individual sahate who evercomes the craving which is difficult to discard (duraccayaṃ) owing to the difficulty of doing the passing over (atikkhamituṃ) and forsaking (pajahituṃ) characteristically as has been said in this manner, enxieties rooted in the rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭamūlakā) from that individual, according as a drop of water which does not keep itself standing when it has fallen on the lotus leaf in the lotus bed (pokkhare); in this manner his anxieties do not keep themselves standing; thus, is the meaning. Taṃ vo vadāmi means: for that reason, I do say to you. Bhaddaṃ vo means: my good be to you! Do not arrive at disappearance (vibhavaṃ) and disadvantage (anatthaṃ) similar to the individual who functions under the dictates (anuvatta) of craving (taṇhā) thus, is the meaning. Yavant’ettha samāgatā means whatever quantity has assembled in this place, that number. If asked; What did he say? Taṇhāya mūlaṃ khaṇatha means: dig up and cut off well by means of the spade (kudāla) of the knowledge of the path of Arahantship the jungle (gahana) of such depravity as ignorance (avijjā) which constitutes the maker of the foundation of this six-doored craving (chadvārika taṇhā). Similar to what? Usīrattho va bīraṇaṃ means according as a man in need of usīra root digs up the grass named usira, known as bīraṇa with a huge spade, in the same manner, you should dig up its root; thus, is the meaning. Mā vo naḷaṃ va soto va, māro bhañji punappunaṃ means: let not Māra of depravity (kilesa), Māra of death (maccu) Māra, the divine youth crush (bhañji) you again and again similar to the stream of a river which has come down with much momentum eroding the reed that has grown on the shore of the river; thus, is the meaning. Karotha Suddhavacanaṃ means: therefore, act up to the word of the Blessed One; Buddha, as has been said starting with “Jhāyatha bhikkhave mā pamādattha (O monks! Do meditate, do not be negligent)” regulate your life (sampādetha) with proper performance (paṭipatti) according as has been instructed. Khaṇo vo mā upaccagā means: indeed, whoever does not act up to the word of Buddha, all such momentary opportunities also as this momentary opportunity of the rising of Buddha (Buddhuppādakkhaṇa), the momentary opportunity of springing up in a suitable abode, the momentary opportunity of having aptly gained the right view (sammādiṭṭhi), the momentary opportunity of being marked by (lakkhaṇo) absence of deficiency (vekallaka) of six organs of sense (āyatana); let not that momentary opportunity be missed by you. Khaṇātītā means: indeed, those who miss that momentary opportunity, alternatively those individuals whom that momentary opportunity went past; nirayamhi samappitā means:they, having sprung up there in the purgatory, become sad for a long time. Pamādo rajo means negligence is marked (lakkhano) by absence (vossagga) of awareness (sati) in such sense-objects (ārammaṇa) as visible form (rūpa) etc.; stain (rajo) owing to its state of being mixed (missa) with the stain of lust (rāgaraja) on account of the condition of the nature of self-deprevity. Pamādanupatito rajo means: indeed, whatever stain there is, it is known as one who is with lust and so on (rāgādika); all that springs up (uppajjati) but by way of negligence, owing to falling into negligence. Appamādena means: by diligently proper performance (paṭipatti) woing to not being negligent. Vijjāya means: by means of knowledge of foremost path (magga). Abbahe sallamattano means: one should pull out (uddharayya) and remove (samūhaneyya) one’s own thorn of lust, etc., which lies dorment (nissitaṃ) in the heart. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Mālukyaputta is complete. ----